- Start the car and immediately, but gently, drive away. Don’t leave your car idling. Today’s cars don’t need to warm up.
- Start slowly, avoiding rapid acceleration. Jack-rabbit starts are terrible fuel wasters.
- Aim to maintain a constant speed. Every time you pump the accelerator, you are pumping more fuel into the engine.
- Drive at posted speed limits - that’s a tip that may save a life as well as fuel.
Save gas on A/C
- Minimize the use of the air conditioning system. Rather than run it continuously, use the vent setting as much as possible.
- When you get to your destination, park in the shade to reduce the need for using the air conditioner.
- Avoid piling a lot of luggage on the roof rack. The added weight on the frontal area drags on the car and will hurt fuel economy.
- Don’t drive with your windows wide open. That increases aerodynamic drag at highway speeds and lowers fuel economy.
Save fuel
- Have a professional align your front wheels. Wheels that are pointing in the same direction fight with each other, wasting fuel (and tires).
- Check your tire pressure. Underinflated tires increase rolling resistance and reduce fuel economy. Also, underinflated tires wear rapidly. Check the vehicle’s door-post sticker for minimum cold tire inflation pressure.
- Use good quality, energy-conserving (EC) oils in the engine, with viscosity grade recommended in your Owner’s Guide. Look for cans marked with the symbol “ECII,” which is the American Society of Testing Material logo for fuel-efficient oils.
- Make sure your engine is tuned up to keep your car running efficiently and save gas.
Use a fuel with good detergent additives to help keep the engine clean and performing efficiently.
Save Gas
- Filling up with the most expensive grade of gas does not necessarily make your engine run better. Use a high-quality fuel with an octane rating appropriate for your vehicle. Use the lowest octane possible. Check your Owner’s Guide for the manufacturer’s recommendation.
- Don’t skip on maintenance. Be serious about auto care. Your car’s performance depends on it.
- You can improve your car’s gas mileage by 1 percent to 2 percent by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil. Opt for motor oil with the words “energy conserving” on the API performance label. This oil contains friction-reducing additives.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, September 27th, 2006 at 2:28 pm and is filed under Tips to save fuel.
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